A simple extension to make teacher interactions visible during lessons in interactive programming environments

When learning how to use interactivity in the computer programming classroom, students can find it challenging to follow along when the teacher is presenting interactive steps on an overhead projector. This especially true when it's unclear whether the behavior shown on the projector is due to an interaction activated by the teacher or to an animated sequence. To address this issue, we designed an extension to be added to the programming environment. In this study we implemented it for two famous block programming languages such as Scratch and Snap where interaction is an important element. By using this extension teachers can easily activate, position, time, and adjust transparent icons on the stage that show keyboard and mouse interaction and make it clear which interaction element has been activated and for how long. Compared to other systems, like using tools designed for the specific operating system used in the classroom, the proposed extension is more flexible as it can be used in all operating systems where the programming language is available and, moreover, the same project can be used by both the teacher to show the effect of the interactions during the lesson and by the students to learn specific types of interaction without being bothered by annoying icons superimposed to their running projects. By using this extension, teachers can create a more engaging and less frustrating learning environment for their students.